Artificial hand.



L. AYDI.

ARTIFICIAL HAND. APLmMIoN FILED SEPT. ze, 1910.

Patented F6514. 1911.

M MATURA/El LEONARD AYDT, or SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

ARTIFICIAL nAND.

Application filed September 26, 191'0. Seria13No.'-'583,817.' l

To all whom fit may concern: l

Be it known that l., LEONARD Aver, a

citizen of' the ifnitcd States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King-and State of lVashil'lgton, have invented certain new and useful ImIn-oveinents in, Artificial Hands,-

of lwhich the followingl is a specification.

The object of this invention .is to provide au arlific'inl hand lmving fingers articulate for motions resembling those .found -in the natural ones and, similarly, arranged for independent, oonsentaneous and conjoint action in the performance of their various functions such, for. example, as in the hanfor the respective fingers.

dling of l1'1ives,'forl s, mechanics" tools, etc. A ll-'lthv this end 1n View, the invention consists inthenovel construction and combination of parts, as Will be hereinafter clescribed and claimed.

In the .accompanying drawings, which show an embodiment of my invention, Fig ure 1 isa view of the top or back side of a hand, with portions broken away to disclose the mechanism. Fig. l is a longitudinal section of the same.

The reference numeral 5 designates the body of an artificial hand formed of tvood orother suitable material, and is advantageously faced upon the front side with a palm 6 of rubber or equivalent yielding I' material At the back side of said body 1s a recess-7 over which is rigidly secured' a ycover plate e terminating, adjacent to' the "Wrist portion of the hand, in a transversely '35.

' inner ends only of the remaining row, 13,

are provided withV pairs of ears 14.- These ears are disposed to be at the back or in proximity to the hand. knuckles, and are pierced to receive pins 16 which hingedly l connect the ears of theadjacent ends ofthe several finger part-s together, and likewise for pins 17` 'Whichconnect theears 14 of the phalanges 11 with' therespectlve elements 10 of the` aforesaidprojections 10. The" UNITEDsrATEs 4PA'ran'rr OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

V Afront .sides yof the variou.

Vplish such 'engagement b'etrfe'e 'fjtlief- Patent-n cut away. te furl'lish bevel the' fingers being Vmore or L'le Secured to a pin 19 infeac 'parts 12% isa flexor cordi'orttendon as vof catgl'lt, e-rxtei-n'lingv into' 7 through the intervei-ring 11 and 4'l2 and wherein Utflie'A guided by sheaves 2l 'mom vers-ely .disposed -1 shafts recess, each of the tendon the end of a helical sp1-ineF 1Q D end is connected to a bar-Qtl site ends from the springsflle turned upwardly to .turni'slrll'andle the top faces of the barsarefserl vide ratchet 'teeth -25 ,whie'lr are be engaged with the plate- "fia ons adjustments of the vfinger andthe several. bars-a spring" 6- isipr hnder each of the latterff'oi" saine upwardly.v

part of thevhand and also tliebirz's Anterior tendons, suchfafs of iu be fetic vhands '-8 are secured 'j their opp site end, as by staplesQQ, lie'onteiit'ow of, phalanges and the plate Sito normallyl extend the fingers. lIlinger-tips 30 of rubber are desirably socketed in the finger parts 13.. V

y 31 represents a thumb secured t0 or. formed integral 'With the body of the hand. i

In practice, the aforedescribed .artificial hand would be incased by a glove from the nger tips to Within a short distance of the hoop 27. i

.The operation ofv the invention is as follows: When an object of irregular shape is to be grasped by the entire hander where the object is to be grasped in the artificial hand between one 'or more of the fingers and the thumb or palm, as may be required, the

fingers are'aecordingly operated by'rnanipnlating the appropriate handles 24.' throughpressures. exerted individually4 thereupon through the medium of the fingers of the" other or natural hand ot the operator. Such manipulation puts tension upon the affected fieXor springs 20 and cords 20 whereby the'` latter will canse the'hooking of the respec 'tive fingers about the object.4 It is to benoted that, in thus putting a tension upon 27 represents a hoop en-rbraeifnrr the Wit-ist 80 the springs 20 that the resilient action .L the same into engaging thereof. will cause the tee-th 'of the various bars 23 to be reliably engaged with the fiange 9. When the fingers are to bel closed in unison, then the hoop 27 would be shoved up the Wrist to drag all of thebars 23 therewith. The springs 26, during such finger closing movements of' the bars', will press ositions with the fiange 9. .To open the gers the barsy '23 are retracted from-their engagement with .4 said flange by a downward 'pressure'from l the naturalhand `upon the handles 24 and in opposition to the springs 26. When thus released, the o w'er ,of theel'astic bands 28 assert themse vesto extend the fingers.

What I claim, is-' .v 1. 1 An artificial. hand having articulated "fingers, exible tendons for the respective fingers, means for. actuating said tendons to close the-fingers independently of each other,

and means *whereby the tendons may be operated to close the fingers in unison.

- 2. In an artificial hand, a body, a series of ointedA fingers which are hinged 'to said ody, .tendons secured tothe third or outer -fphalangesfof the respective fingers and extending into a'reeess provided in said body, aseparahly operable ratchet bar connected with each of said tendons, and devices provided in thebody -for engaging the respective ratchet-bars y' .3.' In an artificial hand, in combination with a hand body, a plurality of jointed d fingers hinged to said body, tendons secured to the outer finger phalanges, a ratchet device connected with each of said tendons,

and means to secure said ratchet device in adjusted positions, of a hoop embracing the Wrist of saidhand-body and arranged to simultaneously effect the engagement or re lease of all of said ratchet devices..

4. In an artificial hand, a body, a series of' jointed .fingers which are hinged' to sa;`

body, tendons secured to the third or outer phalanges of the respective fingers and eX- tendingin'to a recess provided in said body,

a separably operable ratchet-bar connected With each of said tendons, devices provided 'inthe body for engaging the respective ratchet-bars, and springs acting to effect the engagement of said bars With said devices.

In an artificial hand, in combination with a hand. body, a plurality of jointed ,fingers hinged to said body, tendons secured in unison.

LEONARD AYDT. Witnesses H. BARNES, l E. PETERSON.

having articu- 

